The Chicago Bears are not going to tip their hand to anything this draft season. GM Ryan Pace has already proven in the past that he values secrecy above all else. The less teams know about his intentions, the better. That’s how he was able to take the entire NFL world by such surprise when he moved up to secure Mitch Trubisky last year.
Naturally, the question will come up a thousand times over the next few months. Do the Bears have anybody specific in mind for their #8 overall pick? The tricky part is that list of possible names is liable to change quite a bit as top prospects rise and fall down boards. The Senior Bowl has already concluded. The scouting combine and pro days are still to come.
Those will go a long way towards helping teams set their boards, including the Bears. Then again it’s always possible they might have a certain name in mind already. Could that be the case for Pace? At least one NFL insider seems to think so?
Chicago Bears could already have designs on drafting Calvin Ridley
Benjamin Allbright has become one of the more reliable sources for NFL inside knowledge over the past couple years. He was ahead of everybody else in stating that the Bears were switching to Trubisky at quarterback from Mike Glennon this season. So anything he has to offer regarding the team is worth noting. That’s why it was interesting to hear his take on who the Bears have in mind for #8.
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Pretty sure Chicago is keying in on WR C Ridley
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 28, 2018
This will come as great news to some and not so great news to others. Ridley is unquestionably the best wide receiver in the 2018 draft class. The tape reveals that much. Though his production wasn’t great at Alabama, it was more due to their run-heavy system than his ability. Every opponent knew Ridley was their only viable receiving threat and they still weren’t able to stop him.
Ridley is a complete player. He can run with speed and quickness and is a precise route runner. Also, despite his limited body mass, he gives max effort as a blocker. If that weren’t enough Ridley has made it clear on more than one occasion that playing for the Bears would be his dream come true.
Calvin Ridley REALLY wants to play for the #Bears. pic.twitter.com/Q52JihYR9d
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) January 28, 2018
Chicago desperately needs wide receiver help. They were 32nd in passing in 2017 with their best target Kendall Wright barely topping 600 yards. Trubisky can’t be expected to carry this team into the future without weapons. With this context taking Ridley makes a ton of sense. So what’s the problem?
Ridley shelf life in the NFL likely won’t be ideal
The biggest hang up on Ridley has nothing to do with ability. He’s got the tools to have success in the NFL. The primary issue is more about the long-term outlook. Ridley is already 23-years old. He turns 24 in December of this year. So he’s a bit on the older side for a common draft pick. Teams, in general, prefer their top picks to be on the younger side in order to maximize their potential value. This creates a problem with Ridley.
Then again does this really need to be such an issue? The Detroit Lions don’t seem to regret going after Ezekiel Ansah back in 2013 even though he would be a 24-year old rookie. Or how about…wait for it…the Bears? Do people forget they did the same thing with Kyle Long or again with Leonard Floyd in 2016? The point is if the player is older than average, there is one question to ask. Will he take time to contribute or can he do so right away?
Given his development at a factory like Alabama, there’s no doubt Ridley would have an instant impact for the Bears. This should make the idea of drafting him more appetizing.
